Flushing device.



A. .l. PODMORE & J. P. CROASDALE.

' FLUSHING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 29. 1909.

Patented Jul 27, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

INVENTORS rmar'e WITNESSES 1 3 A. J. PODMORE & J. P.'CROASDALE.

FLUSHING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 29, x909.

Patented July 27, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES [NI EN TOBS TI Th8 .dfillhlT CFFTCFZ.

ARTHUR J. PODMORE, 0F CAMDEN, NEW JERSEY, AND JOHN P. GROASDALE, OF BER-WYN, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNORS TO CAMDEN POTTERY COMPANY, A CORPORA-TI01\T OF NEW JERSEY.

FLUSI-IING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent. P te t d July 2?, 1915.

Application filed May 29, 1909. Serial 1V0. 499,118.

To (ZZZ whom it may concern Be it known that we, ARTHUR J. POD- MORE andJOHN P. CRoAsnALn, citizens of the United States, residents,respectively, of Camden, Camden county, State of New Jersey, and Berwyn,Chester county, State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and usefulFlushing Device, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to improvements in flushing devices.

Our object is to provide an improved actuating means for the flush valveof a water closet.

The invention is especially applicable to low down flush tanks, wherethe valve operating handle is located on the tank within convenientreach of the operator.

The invention is also especially convenient for use with porcelain orearthenware tanks.

Referring to the drawings :Figure 1 is a front elevation of the tank,partly in section. Fig. 2 is a plan view, with the tank lid removed.Figs. 3, 4 and 5 are views of the operating handle, lever and associatedmechanism, in different positions. Fig. 6 is a section on line 66 ofFig. 3.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

In Figs. 1 and 2, we show a low down flush tank 7 of the usual type. Theflush valve ball 8 is also of the usual type and is connected by the rod9 to the pivoted lever 10. This lever 10 is pivotally mounted at 12 tothe supporting piece or hanger 13. Piece 13 is provided with a lug orbushing 14 which is adapted to project through the aperture in the sideof the tank 7. The outer end of lug 14 is threaded to receive the nut15. By means of which nut 15, and the interposed gasket 16, the member13 is locked in any desired position. The gasket 16 is provided inconnection with a porcelain or earthenware tank to protect the glazedsur face from injury by direct contact with the nut 15. The bracket orhanger 13 and lug 14 are apertured to receive the spindle 17 the outerend of which is of square cross-section to receive the operating handle18, while the inner end of spindle 17 is rigidly connected with themember or disk 19 which is provided with the three lugs or pins 20, 21and 22. The handle 18 is held upon the end of spindle 17 by the screw23.

It will thus be noted that the entire actuating mechanism from thehandle 1.8 to the point of lever 10, which is connected with the rod 9,is a self-containing structure supported entirely by the member orhanger 13, lug 14 and nut 15 in a single aperture of the wall of thetank. The structure also permits of a certain limited adjustment ofposition of pivot 12 about the axis of spindle 17 which adjustment issecured by loosening the nut 15 and moving the bracket member 13 aboutsaid axis of 17 until the required position is secured and thentightening nut 15.

The operation of our device is as follows: In the normal position thehandle 18 occupies a substantially vertical position as shown in Fig. 3,while the lever 10 occupies a substantially horizontal position in whichpositions the valve ball 8 is held in the position of closure. Byswinging the handle 18 to the left as shown in Fig. 4, pin 20 engagesthe lever 10 and causes the same to be elevated until the upper side oflever 10 encounters pin 22, which pin 22 limits the upward movement ofsaid lever 10. This raises through the rod 9, the valve ball 8 to causethe opening of the flushing valve. By swinging the handle 18 to theright as shown in Fig. 5, pin 21 encounters the lever 10 and causes theelevation of the same until the upper side of said lever 10 engages pin22 which limits the upward movement of said lever 10. This likewisecauses the opening of the flushing valve. It will thus be seen that byswinging the handle 18 in either direction, either to the right or tothe left, the lever 10 is raised a certain height, suflicient to causethe opening of the flush valve, but is prevented from being raisedbeyond the necessary height. It is also to benoted that the pivotsupport of the lever 10 is at one extreme end thereof, while the valveconnection is at the other extreme end. The pivot also is at the extremeleft hand side of the tank, while the flush valve is alwayssubstantially in the middle of the tank. This structure permits the useof the maximum length of lever and gives ample space for the leveractuating mechanism, sufficiently removed from the pivot. This feature,and the use of the single supporting body 13,

gives ample range for convenient location of the handle, and easy andpositive operation of the lever, and consequently of the flushing valve.

What we claim is 1. Flush valve operating mechanism comprising avalve-actuating lever, an operating spindle and a member having alimited twoway rotary movement in either direction in response to theactuation of the spindle, said member provided with lever actuating andlimiting means operatively engaging with opposite faces of the leverbetween its fulcrum and its valve connection.

2. In a device of the class described, a flush tank, a lever, a valveoperated thereby, a spindle between the valve connection and the fulcrumof the lever and a lever actuating member connected with the spindle andhaving a limited two-way rotary movement in response to the actuationthereof, said member having a plurality of projections, two of saidprojections adapted, when said member is stationary, to lie insubstantially the same horizontal plane as the lever and to support thesame, either one of said projections adapted, when said member isrotated, to actuate the lever to operate the valve, and a projectionfixed to said lever actuating member and adapted to limit the V upwardactuation of the lever.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for 3. In combination with awatercloset flush tank having a spindle rotatively -mounted in the wallthereof, a support for the spindle within the tank having an aperturedlug extending into the wall of the tank and adapted to receive thespindle, a lever pivotally connected with said support to one side ofthe spindle, a valve operatively connected with the lever to the otherside of the spindle, and a lever actuating member secured to thespindle, having a projection below the horizontal plane of the spindlefor actuating the lever and a projection above the horizontal plane ofthe spindle for limiting the upward actuation of the lever.

4. Flush valve operating mechanism comprising a valve-controlling lever,an operat ing spindle, a bracket adjustable about the spindle axis andoperatively connected with the lever, and spindle-controlledlever-actuating and limiting means comprising a member having a limitedtwo-way rotary movement in either direction in response to the actuationof the spindle, operating upon different faces of the lever between itsfulcrum and its valve connection.

ARTHUR J. PODMORE. JOHN P. CROASDALE. Witnesses:

MAE HOFMANN, HOWARD S. OKIE.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

